Binbrook CofE Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Miss Anna Hall Headteacher Binbrook CofE Primary School Orford Road Binbrook Market Rasen Lincolnshire LN8 6DU

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 29 November 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in February 2013.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since taking up your post in April 2016, you have ensured that the culture of improvement continues at Binbrook Primary School.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

The leadership team has a clear vision for school. You know the school well. Your current evaluation document is an accurate assessment of its many strengths and weaknesses. It is based upon a wide range of evidence. You have accurately identified the improvements needed in the school’s detailed development plan.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

You give a clear sense of direction to the other staff. You all work in a close and mutually supportive team to ensure that pupils receive consistently good teaching and levels of care. Staff who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire gave unanimously positive views on all aspects, saying that you lead and manage the school well. Like the pupils I met during my visit, they said that they are proud to be part of the school.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Governance is effective. The school commissioned an external review of governance in May 2017. This resulted in clearer definition of governors’ roles and specific training for different governors. Governors understand their responsibilities and the governing body has started to play an effective, active role in monitoring the outcomes for all groups of learners. Governors receive clear information on the quality of teaching and pupils’ attainment and progress in different subjects. The governing body performs its strategic role effectively, holding the headteacher to account and challenging and offering support as appropriate.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Staff know all pupils well as individuals in this small primary school. This means that they are able to ensure that each pupil’s needs are met. There is a strong sense of community within the school. Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. Parents appreciate the close relationships they have with the staff. Pupils, staff and parents all feel valued.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Pupils are polite, friendly and confident. You have ensured that they enjoy a range of activities and clubs to broaden and enrich their life experiences. Pupils appreciate these opportunities and spoke enthusiastically about activities such as their Forest School work.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

A positive ethos permeates the school, stemming from the caring values shared by pupils. They cooperate closely in class and do not distract each other from their work. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Pupils are taught about other faiths and religions, and show an understanding and acceptance of these. They understand and appreciate diversity. They spoke very highly of the school and about how they are treated by staff. One child remarked, ‘It is nice here because we’re all treated the same but we’re all treated as individuals.’

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

At the last inspection, inspectors asked leaders to provide more opportunities for pupils to work independently during lessons. Pupils said that teachers now encourage them to be more self-reliant. They reported that they are expected to use dictionaries and thesauruses more often. They now refer to the learning-wall displays in their classroom to help them with independent work. Older pupils spoke with enthusiasm about how they use books and the internet for research. They were seeking areas of interest linked to their current topic on Victorians. Pupils concentrate for sustained periods on their own. They also work well in pairs and on small-group activities, maintaining a good focus on their work.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Leaders have improved the way they check on the quality of teaching. They now routinely check on the learning that is happening in classrooms and there is a clear planned system of monitoring. This includes regular teaching observations, work scrutiny and pupil interviews. Findings and developmental action points are communicated promptly to teachers.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Another recommendation from the last inspection was to ensure that teachers match pupils’ work accurately to their learning needs. This area remains an issue for the school. Some pupils reported that their work is still ‘too easy’ for them. A check on current pupils’ work carried out during the inspection and an analysis of the school’s most recent national test data indicate that teachers are not setting challenging enough work for the most able pupils. The work set for disadvantaged pupils does not take their needs sufficiently into account. Safeguarding is effective.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

All staff receive safeguarding training and understand their responsibilities in ensuring pupils’ safety. Processes for making referrals are clear and understood by all. Records are detailed and stored securely. You communicate effectively with outside agencies and show rigour in ensuring that processes are followed to the correct timescales.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

Pupils feel safe and are fully aware of potential dangers such as those posed by the internet. They report that bullying is very rare but know what to do should it occur. Pupils also feel confident that bullying would be dealt with quickly should it occur. They appreciate the ‘worry’ boxes in their classrooms for use should they feel anxious about something.

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Short inspection of Binbrook CofE Primary School

The school’s safeguarding policy is fit for purpose. You are attending to the matter of ensuring that new governors have completed the necessary training.

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Inspection findings

 You have ensured that systems for monitoring the performance of staff are rigorous. You now hold staff to close account. They have clear developmental targets and they receive help to achieve them.  You have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment throughout the school. You have identified areas most in need of improvement and are taking action to tackle these. The quality of teaching is improving and the majority of current pupils are making good progress.  Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, expressed highly positive views of all aspects of the school. An overwhelming majority think that pupils are well behaved, that the school is well led and managed, that pupils are taught well and that their child makes good progress. Parents would recommend the school to others. One parent remarked, ‘All staff are

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Inspection findings

approachable, helpful and willing to give their time for any issues, regardless of how trivial they may sometimes be.’  Relationships between teachers and pupils are good. Pupils behave well in lessons because teachers plan interesting activities that engage and motivate them. Pupils display good attitudes to learning. You have ensured that pupils experience a variety of opportunities beyond the context of a very small rural primary school.  Governors play an effective part in ensuring that the school continues to improve. The governing body monitors the school budget carefully. It checks that systems, such as that for the management of teachers’ performance, are working well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. The school’s ethos helps the pupils to become considerate and reflective. Pupils of all ages work well together and take care of the school and each other.

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Inspection findings

 In 2016 and 2017, disadvantaged pupils made slower progress in reading and writing than the national average. You are tackling this by funding two teaching assistants to work with this group of pupils in separate sessions in the afternoons and within their classes in the mornings. You and the governing body have been instrumental in moving the school’s pre-school unit onto the school site. This led to earlier and closer involvement with vulnerable pupils and their families.  You are tackling the poorer attendance of some disadvantaged pupils through a new attendance reward system and by chasing up absence rigorously. Funded and subsidised trips and clubs (such as arts and crafts) help to enhance these pupils’ life experiences and raise self-esteem. Leaders use half-termly meetings to monitor the progress of these pupils and to assess the impact of interventions.  Another focus of this inspection was to evaluate the quality of teaching, learning

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Inspection findings

and assessment in mathematics. You had already identified this as a priority and leaders, including the mathematics leader, are bringing about improvements. Support and challenge are provided to teachers where necessary. Work in their books indicates that current pupils are making good progress in mathematics.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 they rigorously check that teachers set work that is matched accurately to the abilities and learning needs of pupils, particularly the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the diocese of Lincoln, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. You and I visited classes together to observe teaching and learning. I looked at a sample of pupils’ work from different year groups. I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktime. I considered the views of 14 parents posted on Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, alongside the school’s most recent published questionnaire results. I also met parents at the start of the school day. I visited the breakfast club to check that pupils were safe. I read a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, its development plan and the review of governance. I studied information related to attendance and examined safeguarding records and policies. I examined the school’s website to check that it meets requirements on the publication of specified information. I evaluated the range of views expressed by staff, through Ofsted’s questionnaire,

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